The Redemption of Lavitz: Chapter 3
by The Twisted mind of the Sandman
Summary: The breathtaking conclusion!


:I'M lost in time, caught between what was, what is, and what may  
be. Caught between moments, caught between possibilities, with the  
potential to change it all. Behind me is Sion and the Keeper, and  
the death of every hero in the world to come unless I can get back  
there. What do I do? Where do I go? And most important, what do I  
dare to do:

The thoughts fell through Lavitz's head, quicker then he can contain  
it.

:I'm looking at me at eighteen, Treveln infront of me, offering me  
the sword of truth:

Lavitz standing infront of Trevelyn, who is holding the sword of  
truth for him to take it.

:I'm looking at me, older, much older and somehow I know that this  
is the end, this is my last stand:

A older Lavitz standing in front of the tomb of his son, surrounded by  
twelve warriors.

:My beginning:

Lavitz starring into Trevelyns eyes, his hand opening and closing.

:My end:

Lavitz holding...the Sword of Truth, battle stance ready, his face  
grim.

Lavitz starred at the scene of Trevelyn and him, taking out the  
sword of Power, ready to throw it.

:I can stop this. I can hit the sword away from Trevelyn, snapping  
myself back to reality. I will never have to go through what I have  
been through. Never have to endure the things I've endured. Never  
have to make the mistake that lost me my wife Kalahan:

He stood behind himself, who was standing ready for battle.

:I can step in, save my future self from what's coming. Buy a little  
time to find out what's going on and what to do next:  
:I can--:

"I was wondering when you were going to get here." the older Lavitz  
said.

"You knew I was coming?" said another, a much older person with a  
gruff voice.

"Yeah. I knew you were coming" Lavitz said, "You and someone else"  
He turned his head a bit, to where the younger Lavitz was hidden,  
watching from the shadows.

"I don't see anybody" the other man said.

"No. You wouldn't. In the shadows and the dark, nobody could see me  
when I didn't want to be seen" The rain cascading off his face,  
grasping on his beard and the polished steel of his sword. "I was  
good back then, Blake. I was damned good"

The older man, his brown hair fading into a bright white  
nodded. "Yeah...yeah, you were. But what does that have to do with-  
-"

"It doesn't matter. Nothing matters now, say what you came to say"  
Lavitz interjected.

"It doesn't have to be this way. You know that. If you surrender,  
give them the sword, I can help you. But I can't protect you if you  
keep going" Blake told him.

The sky crackled from the thunder, "Don't do this, Lavitz. Don't.  
You're not as fast as you used to be. They have the advantage, and  
the weapons to take you down. They'll kill you. You know that. You  
HAVE to know that."

Lavitz's head fell, rain dripping from the tip of his nose, as it  
continued to rain harder. "I know. But I can't go back now. It's too  
late. What's done, what HAD to be done, is done."

He looked up. "Goodbye, old friend."

Blake took Lavitz's hand, "Lavitz, please, listen to me--"

Lavitz didn't flinch, "Its time. Walk away. Don't look back anymore"

Blake nodded, a tear mixing with the rain. He turned away, walking  
through the warriors. Each held a legacy weapon, each true bearers.

"As soon as the freak moves, take him out. So don't think twice,  
because if you do, he'll tear you apart before you can do the same  
to him" the one with the Bow of Redemption said.

"Understood" another said, bearing the Sword of Lies.

Lavitz turned, to face the area where the other Lavitz is. "There's  
nothing you can do. Even if you try, time is about to flip again.  
Just remember what you've seen here. I can't warn you about what's  
coming, because if you know, you'll make things worse. It's better  
this way. Better for me. Better for Phoenix"

"And better for Phoenix and Aurora's son. His name is Cypher. But it  
would pretty much have to be, wouldn't it?" he said softly.

"We had a good run. We fought the good fight, even in the dark.  
And Kalahan, god rest her soul, never stopped loving us. Even when  
it all went bad" The rain began to downpour, shadowing him from  
everyone.

"Nothing else matters" Lavitz said softly.

"Holy--!" said one of the warriors as Lavitz suddenly appeared  
before him.

"Nothing!" he screamed, tearing through the men, swinging his sword  
high.

:Tell Phoenix that you love him. Tell him every night, and every  
morning: the older Lavitz began to say to the younger one in his  
head.

His sword flung through, breaking the Sword of Lies, stabbing into  
the bearer.

:And as gently as you can, make him understand...:

His fist flew out, breaking the teeth of the bearer of the Axe.

:...that we all fall, sooner or later. Nobody lives forever.  
Nobody gets a free pass:

The Legacy Warriors began to swarm him, enveloping him.

:What matters is that you go down fighting...:

The sounds of thuds and punches can be heard through the night.

:What matter is that you go down fighting...:

Lavitz erupted from the dog pile, holding two men over his head.

:...and you go down clean:

The man with the bow took aim.

:...clean...:

The arrow tore through Lavitz's body as he screamed through the  
night.

:...clean...:

The light blinded the other Lavitz, as the older Lavitz became  
enveloped in white light.

:There's nothing you can do...nothing you can do:

The other Lavitz turned his head, blocking the light, looking onto  
the forest seen again.

:Isn't there: he said to himself.

The teenage Lavitz reached for the sword.

:I can stop it: he said to himself :I can put my life back the  
way it was. Make my life mine again. No one will have to die because  
of me.: he gripped the sword tighter, ready to throw it.

:But...how many other people will die because I wasn't there to  
save them:

:I cant...:

:Creator help me...I'm sorry, Phoenix-- I can't. I can't. I  
can't...:

The teenage Lavitz grabbed the sword, the yellow and blue light  
enveloping him, as the yellow blue light enveloped the one stuck in  
time.

"I'm sorry Phoenix...I'm sorry. I know you would've wanted better of  
me. I--"

"Lavitz Shawe" a voice echoed around him.

"Sirius?"

"I apologize for the delay...it has taken all my power to find you.  
You've gone to far down the timeline for me to come to you. If I  
try, we may both become lost forever."

"So what do you want me to do"

"You have to come to me. You will have to find me"

"Great..." Lavitz said sarcastically.

"You will have to come back up to your own timeline until you reach  
the present"

"Uh huh...how?"

"I am a ranger Lavitz, I miss nothing"

A white tendril of energy swirled before him, like a rope.

"I've sent the Spell of Becoming in your direction. You should be  
seeing anytime now. Let it enter you, and bring you forward through  
your timeline. Follow my voice, and never let go"

"If we succeed, you will return to yourself in the moments before  
you enter the throne room of Renada, before you open the doorway for  
the Keeper. Your son will come, you must stop him from repeating  
the same mistake"

The white tendril shot back, and flew forward, faster then anything  
ever, slamming into Lavitz's body as he yelled out.

"Commander Lavitz!...we...slaughted...help"

"Who...?" Lavitz said weakly, getting up from the ground.

"Commander Lavitz! The Alversian horde is breaking through the  
lines. Half of the town is overrun!"

Lavitz stood up to see a young Lieutenant Ace before him. He looked  
around. Hundreds of soldiers were running in different directions,  
attempting to stop the horde of black Alverisans from taking the  
town.

:I understand. I'm not visiting, I'm here reliving in the moment. I  
can be hurt, or killed and if that happens...:

He charged forward into battle.

:I can't let that happen:

He swung his sword up, bringing it down quickly.

A sudden steel ring ran through his body. Trevelyn stood before  
him, his face contorted in anger. "HOW DARE YOU OPPOSE ME!"  
Trevelyn yelled, throwing Lavitz back.

:He's fast...I'd almost forgotten how fast...and I'm slow, tired,  
reflexes are off...:

Lavitz flies back, sliding against the ground, the sword of truth  
dangling from his tips.

:...but I can't let that matter, not now...have to keep going--:

Trevelyn charged forward screaming. Lavitz spun, round housing him  
across the face.

:Follow my voice:

He charged forward, screaming in rage, bringing his blade down.

He was jolted back, falling and sliding to the ground. A short  
man, with a curved blade came forward. "Blade was the first, you are  
next" Corey screamed, bring the blade down.

:Follow my voice:

A shrill laughter filled the air, as he ran through the tunnels.  
Hundreds of skeleton warriors chased him, Amber having brought them  
sometime. The walls began to fall in, rocks falling, pinning Lavitz  
below them.

:Follow my voice:

Lavitz was pinned, under solid rock, not able to move.

:Got to keep moving...shouldn't be that hard to move the rocks...no  
good...they're not moving...doesn't make sense...I should be able  
to...:

He pushed up, groaning. He opened his eyes to see Jagang bearing  
down upon Faye and Merlo.

:No...:

:Dear Spirits, no...:

:The two of lay before me. Jagang above them. I was barley able to  
lift it up before, I wont be able to do this twice. In this  
condition...:

:No. I can't let it happen. This isn't a dream, or a memory. I'm  
HERE, in the moment, and if I fail, they die. I won't allow it:

Jagang laughed loudly, grinning, twirling the sword his hand. "You  
two will make nice trophies on my wall" he said grinning.

:Come on Lavitz, come on...you can do this...you did it  
before...move, dam you...move...:

:This is when it counts...when there is no chance...you cant give  
up...that's all...:

He pushed up, the rocks moving slowly. He groaned with the strength.

:Cant...give...:

"UP!" he yelled, turning Jagangs attention long enough for Kevin to  
tackle him to the ground.

:Follow my voice:

"Enough" Lavitz said.

:Follow my voice:

"No..."

:Follow my voice:

"I SAID NO!" he screamed, "I cant do this anymore. I cant. I look at  
all the things I've done, everything's that's happened, and--its  
just nonstop fighting, violence, madness--and I've let people  
die...people I cared about...people I loved--"

:We cannot save everyone:

"Then what's the point?"

:Do you know what is the greatest gift anyone can received in his  
lifetime:

"No" Lavitz said flatly, "And I don't care. What does this have to do  
with--"

:The greatest gift we can receive is to have the chance, just one  
in our lives, to make a difference. Do you understand how many gifts  
you have received? How many times you've made a difference? Enough  
for a hundred lifetimes:

Lavitz didn't answer.

:If you stop now, then all the times you made a difference before  
now were for nothing. And all those you care about now, today, will  
most certainly die. But you already know this:

Lavitz looked up at nothing, tears in his eyes. "I know its  
just...I'm tired Sirius. I'm so tired all of a sudden. I try not to  
look back, because some days it feels like I'll just drown under the  
weight of everything. I've done everything. I've had to do, and I  
wonder if it was worth it--"

:Lavitz:

"Yeah?" he said softly.

:You are asking the wrong question:

"That so? Then what's the right question?" he asked.

:We must go now:

"I know...I know..." he said softly standing up, "Bring it on"

:Follow my voice:

Hundreds of enemies, hundreds of scenarios charged at Lavitz. He  
took them all on, listening for it.

:Follow my voice:

Hundreds, thousands. Everyone he had ever fought, killed, died for  
him. He faced them all.

:Follow my voice:

"Sire, we have arrived"

Lavitz looked around. The throne room doors loomed before him. He  
stood there, not knowing what to do. One of the Red Crimson guards  
approached. "Sire?"

Lavitz looked around. He saw his son and his two friends come around  
the corner. With a deep breath, Lavitz stopped them, holding them  
in place. They struggled in the magik web.

"Father!" yelled Phoenix, "Your repent has come!"

"No" Lavitz said softly, "Look at the sword, look at the hilt. See  
what you have become"

Phoenix struggled, glaring down at the sword. The silver words  
DARKNESS shown back at him. His eyes filled will anger, spitting at  
his father, "Release me"

The Sword of Power at Lavitz's side glowed, changing shape before  
stopping again. The Sword of Truth had returned to him.. He took  
it out, pointing at Phoenix. "Release yourself" he said, throwing  
his hands back, pulling the darkness out of the three.

They screamed, they yelled, darkness erupting from them. A gold  
aura appeared over them, he could hear the keeper yell.

"Stand back!" Sirius said in the darkness, "This intrusion into our  
dimension is the work of the keeper! And only can counter it!"

He mumbled magic words, screaming it, till all was silent, the  
darkness faded.

And it was over.

"We must speak" he said to Lavitz.

"A most curious thing happened Lavitz" Sirius said smiling, "When  
you came back, this appeared in my pocket"

He handed Lavitz a small orange box, with a gold glow. "What is  
it?" Lavitz asked.

Sirius pointed a finger at his stomach, "Its up for you to decide"

Lavitz stood on the tallest spire of the castle, watching the  
moonlight. Phoenix, Blake and Aurora had left the castle, to go  
around the world, returning each kingdom to their rulers. The time  
of the Imperial Order had ended. Lavitz sighed to himself, opening  
the orange box in his hand.

A small paper unfolded itself...

YOU HAVE  
FIVE MINUTES  
SPEND THEM  
AS YOU WISH

Lavitz starred at the paper for a few.

"Hello, Lavitz"

He turned, his eyes widening.

"Kalahan? I don't believe...it really is you..?"

A smile crossed the face of his wife, her perfect face fitting well  
with her flawless body, her brown hair fitting perfectly at her  
shoulders. "Well sure, who else would it be?" she walked forward, a  
delicate hand touching his face, "You look good Lavitz, really good"

"You look good to Kalahan. Spirits, there's so many things I want to  
tell you...so many things I want to ask forgiveness for, I--"

"Forgiveness?" she said, turning her head a bit, "There's nothing you  
need to be forgiven for, Lavitz. Not by me"

"But" he said bitting his lip, "I wasn't there when you-"

"We all mess up sometimes love. Its not only inevitable, I think  
maybe its even necessary."

She smiled, kissing his cheek. "You know what would disappoint me?  
If you didn't reach for the kind of Life I wanted for you. If you  
settled for less because you were afraid of reaching for more. If  
you walked away from what you believe, even one" she looked at him  
with blue eyes, "Have you done that?"

A deep sadness, fell over him, but then he realized. He had never  
fallen from the path, he always believed everything that he believed  
in the beginning. He was corrupted by a stone, a stone he had broken  
himself just moments ago.

"No. No I haven't" he said to her.

"Then your life has meaning. Whatever you do now, whatever is  
you've become, tell me this Lavitz. Are you happy? We all go through  
the pain, we all lose people we care about, we all suffer, we all  
get hurt. It's the price of being human. But at the end of the  
day...do you like your life? Are you happy Lavitz?"

Lavitz looked down, then up, "Its the damndest thing, but...I am.  
I'm happy. I have a good life, Kalahan. A real good life. I'm very  
lucky. Sometimes I don't realize just how good, and how lucky. But  
yeah...I'm happy"

Kalahan smiled, hugging him tightly, "Then that's the only things  
that matters isn't it?"

He smiled, holding her in his arms. "I've missed you so much Kalahan"

"I've missed you to love. I love you, you know"

"I love you to Kalahan."

She began to fade, "Goodbye, Lavitz. Take care of Phoenix for me"

"I will. I swear."

"I know..."

and she was gone.

Lavitz stood in that spot, his arms around where she was. He looked  
up at the sky, into the twin moons. "Thank you..." he said smiling,  
happy once again. 


End file.
